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Island
Nirmal Chandra Mattoo has lived in Port Blair, in the Andamans, for thirty years. An acknowledged expert on the tribes of the islands, particularly the Jarawas and the Sentinelese, he now runs a souvenir shop selling fake tribal artifacts to unsuspecting tourists. In the shop, he hides dark secrets and a long history with the people of the islands.
One day, an American missionary appears in Mattoo’s shop and seeks his help to visit North Sentinel Island, where he hopes to bring the Sentinelese tribals to Jesus. Mattoo agrees, but also has deep misgivings, because the Sentinelese are among the last uncontacted people on earth; their stone-age civilization has survived in complete isolation for thousands of years, and their hostility has made their island a zone forbidden to outsiders.
Undeterred, the missionary sets off on his mission, and Mattoo, as his guide, finds himself embroiled in a situation from which there can be no escape, as the fate of the Sentinelese, his own fate, and that of the Indian State all come together in a catastrophic denouement.
Island is a searing examination of nationhood, citizenship, the lot of those who live on the margins, and what it means to be Indian today.
One day, an American missionary appears in Mattoo’s shop and seeks his help to visit North Sentinel Island, where he hopes to bring the Sentinelese tribals to Jesus. Mattoo agrees, but also has deep misgivings, because the Sentinelese are among the last uncontacted people on earth; their stone-age civilization has survived in complete isolation for thousands of years, and their hostility has made their island a zone forbidden to outsiders.
Undeterred, the missionary sets off on his mission, and Mattoo, as his guide, finds himself embroiled in a situation from which there can be no escape, as the fate of the Sentinelese, his own fate, and that of the Indian State all come together in a catastrophic denouement.
Island is a searing examination of nationhood, citizenship, the lot of those who live on the margins, and what it means to be Indian today.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published October 5, 2024
3 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Sujit Saraf
7 books14 followersSujit Saraf received an engineering degree from IIT Delhi and a Ph.D. from Berkeley. He has conducted research for NASA, taught at IIT and worked as a space scientist in California. When not at his desk, he runs Naatak, an Indian theatre company in America for which he writes and directs plays and films.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 24, 2025
Introduced to this book by Sonya, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. It is about a part of the world I have never given a second thought to, the islands of Andaman and Nicobar. A geography question from another era, Havelock, the Cellular jail, and that's been the extent of my knowledge.
But this book isn't about its pristine beaches or its recent history or assimilation challenges with mainstream India. It's about its tribals. The Great Andamanese, the Onge, the Jarawa, the Sentinelese and perhaps others.
It's fiction but very close to truth, in its portrayal of the various communities that reside on these islands and their relationship with the tribals, who they variously protect, feed off and exploit. It's rich with irony and dark humor, questions our ideas of progress and indeed the idea of India and what it takes to maintain our much vaunted unity at the edges of our influence. The cast of characters are rooted in reality, with a missionary in peril (seemingly based on a real incident) jostling alongside mercenaries and the academic "AnSI types" (Anthropological Survey of India).
It trains its gaze as much on the tribals as on our own selves, and perhaps more so the latter. I am left feeling a bit ashamed of my motive for having picked this book up, me, another mainstream Indian wanting to line my metaphorical cap, with a brush with a people that we don't understand and grudgingly tolerate but are not above training our curiousity on.
A must read.
But this book isn't about its pristine beaches or its recent history or assimilation challenges with mainstream India. It's about its tribals. The Great Andamanese, the Onge, the Jarawa, the Sentinelese and perhaps others.
It's fiction but very close to truth, in its portrayal of the various communities that reside on these islands and their relationship with the tribals, who they variously protect, feed off and exploit. It's rich with irony and dark humor, questions our ideas of progress and indeed the idea of India and what it takes to maintain our much vaunted unity at the edges of our influence. The cast of characters are rooted in reality, with a missionary in peril (seemingly based on a real incident) jostling alongside mercenaries and the academic "AnSI types" (Anthropological Survey of India).
It trains its gaze as much on the tribals as on our own selves, and perhaps more so the latter. I am left feeling a bit ashamed of my motive for having picked this book up, me, another mainstream Indian wanting to line my metaphorical cap, with a brush with a people that we don't understand and grudgingly tolerate but are not above training our curiousity on.
A must read.
December 3, 2025
“Island” by Sujit Saraf is such a refreshing read. The story is so entwined between imagination and reality that, I often had to pause and wonder if I was reading real events. The writing made me feel as if I was walking through the Andamans myself, with a friend by my side, pointing things out and telling stories along the way.
While reading, I found it funny how some people brag about spotting a Jarawa tribal in the Andamans, as if they had seen a tiger. This book shows how shallow that view is, and how much more there is to understand.
Matoo Saab’s emotions stay with you. I felt deeply connected to him, almost as if I knew him. Maybe, I am also "AnSI type" reader.
For me, this is my absolute favorite book for 2025.
While reading, I found it funny how some people brag about spotting a Jarawa tribal in the Andamans, as if they had seen a tiger. This book shows how shallow that view is, and how much more there is to understand.
Matoo Saab’s emotions stay with you. I felt deeply connected to him, almost as if I knew him. Maybe, I am also "AnSI type" reader.
For me, this is my absolute favorite book for 2025.
December 24, 2024
This novel, set in The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, gives us an interesting perspectives into the lives of tribal people. Mattoo is an anthropologist who was passionate about researching the various tribes of Andaman Islands, but certain events changed the course of his career and he now runs a souvenir shop. When he comes to meet a young American missionary his interest to visit a remote island is stirred. But what is Steven’s intention- to spread the Gospel and save the natives from eternal damnation? What is Subash’s motive? And what is the motive of the Indian government when they launch a rescue operation?
This novel brings up discussions about the existence of Neolithic tribes and how they are treated, is it right to civilize them or should they be protected? Should native people be civilized and integrated into mainstream society? In giving them aid are we merely obliterating their way of life?
This novel brings up discussions about the existence of Neolithic tribes and how they are treated, is it right to civilize them or should they be protected? Should native people be civilized and integrated into mainstream society? In giving them aid are we merely obliterating their way of life?
August 9, 2025
Broadly based on the 2018 event but fictionalised with an alternate foreboding ending . Historically accurate ,tells u a lot about the sentinelese -perhaps everything that we know about them is covered .
But the ending is Darker -maybe because the author wants you to think hard,to be numbed .
Anthropology ,religion , politics , humanity , patriotism , ethnicity,sexuality , ethics - Explores all these aspects ,forcing you to think and question on what is the best way forward??assimilation versus continued isolation . And what does assimilation mean anyway-does it mean westernisation / sanskritisation ? And if isolation , then for how long?
I don’t read a lot of Indian books in English, but this one was something. Once I got reading , finished it in a day. But I have a feeling it will stay with me for a long time .
But the ending is Darker -maybe because the author wants you to think hard,to be numbed .
Anthropology ,religion , politics , humanity , patriotism , ethnicity,sexuality , ethics - Explores all these aspects ,forcing you to think and question on what is the best way forward??assimilation versus continued isolation . And what does assimilation mean anyway-does it mean westernisation / sanskritisation ? And if isolation , then for how long?
I don’t read a lot of Indian books in English, but this one was something. Once I got reading , finished it in a day. But I have a feeling it will stay with me for a long time .
March 17, 2025
Sujit Saraf weaves in the real incident of an American missionary on an evangelical mission in the Andamans into his narrative of the fictional anthropologist Mattoo.
The people of Sentinel Island in the Andamans are amongst the last of the untouched tribes on the planet. They have survived in these lands for millennia, appearing even to escape unscathed from the devastating Tsunami of 2004. What does nationhood and identity mean to a Neolithic people who have been untouched by 'civilisation' for tens of thousands of years?
Presumably nothing at all. But, we find in this book, a host of different actors, anthropologists, politicians, missionaries and the public at large spouting fixed views and pursuing unsavoury agendas in this Indian Ocean haven.
The ANSI-types (anthropologists) want to advance their careers by making breakthroughs in reaching out to the tribals, while an American missionary is driven by his zeal to open up the last heathen bastion to his one true God. For the uninformed (almost callously so) general populace from the mainland, this is just another holiday destination that happens to be populated with unusual beings. Most do not care to understand the island beyond its relation to the recent history of the mainland- the freedom struggle, the Cellular Jail and the people associated with these.
Others are convinced that integrating these people into the mainstream is the only way forward. But, as we see from the characters in this novel who are on that path, this is not as straightforward as it seems.
I liked this book for opening my eyes to many things most of us tend to take for granted: deeply uncomfortable questions about nationhood, the rights of settlers vs. original inhabitants, the ethicality of civilising missions and the usefulness of outreach efforts.
For centuries, we have taken the mainstream narrative of economic progress as unimpeachable. If some of our species have, by quirks of geography, been insulated from these ideas, what moral right do we have to impose our point of view on them?
What didn't work for me: Apart from the actual incident of the missionary, the story is somewhat thin and far-fetched, especially the incident leading to Mattoo's fall from grace and the ending.
5/5 for context and research, 1.5/5 for story.
#Mid-3
The people of Sentinel Island in the Andamans are amongst the last of the untouched tribes on the planet. They have survived in these lands for millennia, appearing even to escape unscathed from the devastating Tsunami of 2004. What does nationhood and identity mean to a Neolithic people who have been untouched by 'civilisation' for tens of thousands of years?
Presumably nothing at all. But, we find in this book, a host of different actors, anthropologists, politicians, missionaries and the public at large spouting fixed views and pursuing unsavoury agendas in this Indian Ocean haven.
The ANSI-types (anthropologists) want to advance their careers by making breakthroughs in reaching out to the tribals, while an American missionary is driven by his zeal to open up the last heathen bastion to his one true God. For the uninformed (almost callously so) general populace from the mainland, this is just another holiday destination that happens to be populated with unusual beings. Most do not care to understand the island beyond its relation to the recent history of the mainland- the freedom struggle, the Cellular Jail and the people associated with these.
Others are convinced that integrating these people into the mainstream is the only way forward. But, as we see from the characters in this novel who are on that path, this is not as straightforward as it seems.
I liked this book for opening my eyes to many things most of us tend to take for granted: deeply uncomfortable questions about nationhood, the rights of settlers vs. original inhabitants, the ethicality of civilising missions and the usefulness of outreach efforts.
For centuries, we have taken the mainstream narrative of economic progress as unimpeachable. If some of our species have, by quirks of geography, been insulated from these ideas, what moral right do we have to impose our point of view on them?
What didn't work for me: Apart from the actual incident of the missionary, the story is somewhat thin and far-fetched, especially the incident leading to Mattoo's fall from grace and the ending.
5/5 for context and research, 1.5/5 for story.
#Mid-3
December 27, 2024
I was looking for a book about the Andaman Islands, especially the mysterious North Sentinel Island. I found very few books, and they were mostly about the land and history. Then, I found 'Island' by Sujit Saraf. What a ride!
This book doesn't just tell you facts; it tells you a story that dives deep into the unique culture of the Andaman Islands. It also tells the true story of a Christian missionary who, despite the rules, slithered onto North Sentinel Island and met a tragic end.
At first, the book felt a bit like school, giving a lot of background info. But once the fictional story of a Kashmiri anthropologist enters the picture, it becomes a thrilling read. Saraf masterfully weaves this fictional story with the real-life events of the missionary's death.
The ending was my favorite part. It paints a picture of what the future of the Andaman Islands could have been, but wasn't... at least not yet.
'Island' is a fantastic mix of a story and real information.
This book doesn't just tell you facts; it tells you a story that dives deep into the unique culture of the Andaman Islands. It also tells the true story of a Christian missionary who, despite the rules, slithered onto North Sentinel Island and met a tragic end.
At first, the book felt a bit like school, giving a lot of background info. But once the fictional story of a Kashmiri anthropologist enters the picture, it becomes a thrilling read. Saraf masterfully weaves this fictional story with the real-life events of the missionary's death.
The ending was my favorite part. It paints a picture of what the future of the Andaman Islands could have been, but wasn't... at least not yet.
'Island' is a fantastic mix of a story and real information.
March 24, 2025
A beautifully articulated fiction book, the Island is a real page turner. Mysteries of the mysterious islands of Andaman, Sujit’s narration makes you feel that this really isn’t fiction but a true story. Gripping, scary, and tantalising to the extent one feels completely immersed and a part of this mystery island. I have been to Andamans before, but after having read this book, the urge to go again to explore even more remains. Well crafted, thoroughly well researched, the reader gets a complete understating of this mysterious island and its tribes and people, and metamorphoses the readers perspective on tribal culture, lifestyle, and way of existence in a way that you begin to appreciate a different outlook on life itself. Sit back over a long weekend and enjoy.
November 30, 2024
63/65: Island
The stunning cover and a story set in one of my favorite places, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, motivated me to pick this up.
It is a thoroughly researched and brilliantly well thought out fictional account that draws inspiration from history, policies and reality. The writing is lovely and the characters are regular everyday oddballs. “Normal” people, nothing grand about them. The plot revolves around the tribal communities of the A&N islands, and is a fictionalised social narrative on what national integration of the tribals means to the tribals, the settlers, the governments and the people.
4/5
The stunning cover and a story set in one of my favorite places, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, motivated me to pick this up.
It is a thoroughly researched and brilliantly well thought out fictional account that draws inspiration from history, policies and reality. The writing is lovely and the characters are regular everyday oddballs. “Normal” people, nothing grand about them. The plot revolves around the tribal communities of the A&N islands, and is a fictionalised social narrative on what national integration of the tribals means to the tribals, the settlers, the governments and the people.
4/5
May 25, 2025
Loved it. Took a real/sensationalized story and used fictional charcaters to debate different political and social positions on protected/uncontacted (not really) peoples in the Indian archipelago of the Adaman Islands. Touched on colorism, class/caste, concepts on 'civilization', and other interesting, but heart-wrenching topics via our sad hero. Great weekend read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews